Common seal facing a new and dangerous threat

by Paul Cormacain 25/10/2002

A solitary seal was surfaced off-shore. It was taking
a break from hunting and eating fish, was basically resting in the
water, very slowing revolving on the lookout for enemies. It held
itself very high in the water.

She was a common seal, which is a strange name for a
seal which is very rare in Irish and British waters.

The commonest seal in these waters is the grey seal
and it is very common. It is usually the one you would see in
Strangford Lough, along the Down and Antrim coasts.

Moving from local waters to the international, we have
to say that the grey seal is one of the world's rare seals. Are you
following this?

Well over half the world's population of grey seals,
some eighty thousand of them, live in British and Irish waters, which
goes some way towards explaining how a rare seal can be a common seal.
And how the common seal can be a rare seal!

About this time of the year the lady grey seals come
ashore to produce their young. The males proceed them, with the object
of establishing a territory.

The pregnant ladies give birth, then feed the young
for about three weeks, after which time the young are left to fend for
themselves.

The mother seals had been pregnant since the previous
year. After the mothers and pups part company, the mothers and fathers
come together, and the mothers become pregnant again. Next autumn the
fathers will come ashore to establish a territory, and the whole thing
will start off all over again.

The mama common seals come ashore in June and July to
produce a single pup. This amazing little creature can swim and dive
from birth, and it would frequently take to the water on the next
tide.

The common seal likes fish. It eats fish as the main art of its diet,
prefers salmon and herring, and will frequently raid fishing nets to
take a trapped fish. This can make the common seal unpopular with
fishing folk.

As I said, this common seal was on the look-out for
enemies, and I started to think of what enemies this creature might
have.

When the seal raids a fishing net many humans quickly
become their enemies. The humans who own the nets, the humans who
check the nets, and their families become instant enemies of the seal.

When a ship or boat is built, and bad design or bad
maintenance is followed by an oil spill, the humans responsible are
seal enemies.

Some common seal hunting is still carried on on some
of the more remote parts of Scotland. If this is done in an honourable
way for an honourable reason, I find that I cannot fault it, but some
folk may decide that these hunters are enemies of the common seal

This was followed by seal deaths off the east coast of
England, Wales is probably affected, and now we have reports here.

In Northern Ireland, in 1988, hundreds of dead seals
were reported, and no doubt we will not escape the infection this
time, but it will take research to come up with a fuller picture.

Further south, in Galway, a few dozen animals have
been found dead, and research is going on at this time to get more
details.

It is not believed the seal virus poses a threat to
humans, but it is always best to be safe rather than sorry. Report,
don't touch, is the golden rule. And if you have your dog with you
when you come across a dead seal, keep the dog well away. Keep
children away!

Coming Events

Saturday 26th October - Fermanagh RSPB indoor
meeting, at 7.30, in St Macartin's Cathedral Hall, will hear about the
Birds of Cape Peninsula South Africa from Warren Fowler. More from
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call 3832 2205 for details.

Monday 28 October - Lisburn RSPB will hear
about Walking the Irish coast, with David Boyd, in Friends' Meeting
House, Magheralave Road, at 7.30

Saturday 2 November, Sunday 3 November - Join
the crowds going to Castle Espie, make a bird feeder there, make a
bird cake, then take home to your garden, details 9187 4146

Saturday 16 November - Tree Planting in Colin
Glen Forest Park, a part of the scheme to make our country one of the
more afforested, rather than one of the least afforested, lands. Phone
9061 4115, turn up at I lam.